Sheffield pooch sheds the pounds - with help of owner’s treadmill

A round hound from Sheffield is going from roly-poly to refined after losing almost a fifth of her body weight - with the help of her owner’s treadmill.

Ruby, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, has slimmed down from around 12kg - double her ideal weight - to 9.6kg as a result of her new workout regime.

Ruby the dog before her weight loss

Owner Marilyn Thomas, aged 68, from Burngreave, suffers from medical conditions which affect her mobility, so is not always able to walk Ruby on a daily basis.

But with the help of vet charity PDSA she came up with a plan to help her get more exercise.

Kery Warwick, PDSA pet wellbeing nurse who is based at the charity’s Sheffield pet hospital, said: “We discussed ways to increase Ruby’s activity levels, when Marilyn suggested trying to encourage Ruby to use a treadmill she had at home. Under very close supervision, Ruby quickly got used to the new activity and she now walks every day on it. It’s a fantastic idea and means that, on days when she can’t go outside due to Marilyn’s health problems, she is still getting vital exercise.”

She added that Ruby’s diet has also been changed as part of efforts to get her to her ideal weight of about 5kg.

Marilyn said: “The weight loss has made a huge difference to Ruby already and she has so much more energy and enthusiasm. I’m glad that she’s a healthier weight, as I’m determined to ensure she does not suffer ill-health as a result from being overweight.”